ՀԱՄԱՇԽԱՐՀԱՅԻՆ ԲԱՆԿ

The Centre for Agribusiness and Rural Development (CARD) Foundation  in partnership with Heifer Georgia International initiated a project - “Animal Health Management in Cross-Border Areas of Armenia and Georgia” financed by Austrian Development Cooperation. The project will ultimately benefit the rural population in four regions of Armenia and Georgia (Shirak and Lori in Armenia and Kvemo-Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti in Georgia) through improvement of animal husbandry and health control practices and, therefore providing better conditions for their economic activities.

The Project focuses on shifting from traditional farming to new animal husbandry approaches, such as (a) herd and labour management; (b) reproduction; (c) housing and environment; (d) nutrition; (e) calf rearing; (f) trans-boundary animal diseases prevention and control and such that may lead to development of a more diversified rural economy.

It is expected that nearly 200 small rural communities in Armenia and Georgia will have access to improved animal health services, an effective information exchange system will be established between state authorities of these two countries and majority of the target population will improve their knowledge about advanced animal health practices.

This project perfectly merges with the Armenian and Georgian governments’ strategies on strengthening of cross-border economic links through creation of efficient veterinary service and information exchange system on prevention and control of animal diseases.

The project activities are addressed to train about 60 veterinarians from both countries that provide animal health services to the farmers. These veterinarians created associations through which they advocate the prevention and control of animal infection diseases in rural areas they serve.

Through the application of public awareness campaign the project will increase knowledge of rural population and community municipalities in advanced methods of animal health prevention and treatment. In addition, an effective communication system between state agencies and private veterinarians of Georgia and Armenia will be established.

Farmer Service Centres and Veterinary Service Units created over the course of the project make veterinary and animal health services accessible for nearly 7000 farmers in Armenia and Georgia.

Project team: Artak Khachatryan, Project Coordinator